TIL In Troy (2004), Brad Pitt and Eric Bana did not use stunt doubles for their epic duel. They made a gentleman's agreement to pay for every accidental hit. $50 for each light hit, $100 for each hard blow. By the end of the scene, Bana didn't owe Pitt anything. Pitt ended up paying Bana $750.
https://www.looper.com/298006/the-gentlemans-agreement-on-2004s-troy-that-cos…
#til #todayilearned
TIL about ambigrams which are calligraphic writing of word so they can have similar or different meanings when viewed in different orientations.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambigram
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/18e29j8/til_about_ambigrams_which_are_calligraphic/
TIL that “mortgage” comes from the old French word “morgage” literally meaning “death pledge”
https://en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/mortgage
#til #todayilearned
TIL that serotonin, the neurotransmitter that many antidepressants aims to increase in the brain, has been found to be partially produced in the skin as a response to sunshine exposure, which may explain why humans enjoy being in the sun.
https://www.whatmedicine.org/2023/09/your-skin-on-zoloft.html
#til #todayilearned
TIL that bees use mushrooms as a natural mite or pesticide killer, from the mycelium found in sawdust piles.
https://bioneers.org/solutions-underfoot-zmaz2001/
#til #todayilearned
TIL Louis B. Mayer created the AMPAS (which runs the Oscars) to curb unions, and created the awards ceremony because "I found that the best way to handle [filmmakers] was to hang medals all over them... If I got them cups and awards they’d kill themselves to produce what I wanted."
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/55360/why-were-oscars-created
#til #todayilearned
TIL putting your phone in rice doesn't actually help with water damage
#til #todayilearned
TIL Vladimir Lenin ruled the shortest time in the Soviet Union, only 1 year and 22 days.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_leaders_of_the_Soviet_Union
#til #todayilearned
TIL bought on a whim at a Massachusetts estate sale for $30, a centuries-old sketch of a mother and child turned out to be an original drawing by Renaissance master Albrecht Dürer, now valued at an estimated $50 million.
#til #todayilearned
TIL: In 1842, John Francis aimed a pistol at Queen Victoria but the gun did not fire and the assailant escaped. The following day, Victoria drove the same route in an attempt to bait Francis into taking a second aim. As expected, Francis shot at her, but he was seized by plainclothes policemen.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Victoria#Domestic_and_public_life
#til #todayilearned
TIL: A woman born with birth defects caused by Chernobyl including 6 toes, webbed fingers, no thumbs, leg 15cm shorter than the other, and missing some organs, won a gold medal in the paralympics for cross-country skiiing
https://www.bbc.com/sport/disability-sport/50220303?tag=32523423
#til #todayilearned
TIL: Most gas pumps in the US that play ads have a mute function. It's usually the button below the one in the top right.
https://www.thedrive.com/guides-and-gear/how-to-mute-gas-station-tv
#til #todayilearned
TIL Volcanic winter of 536 AD that had consequences on wars, famine and epidemic, having consequences on history, due to climatic change and sun light screening
https://www.science.org/content/article/why-536-was-worst-year-be-alive
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/17ldtpm/til_volcanic_winter_of_536_ad_that_had/
TIL Masturbation can reduce Prostate Cancer in Men
https://www.webmd.com/prostate-cancer/ejaculation-prostate-cancer-risk
#til #todayilearned
TIL: Quaternary twins are "twins" born to different parents. If identical twins marry identical twins, their children would legally be cousins but genetically siblings. This type of marriage is also called a quaternary marriage.
https://www.today.com/parents/babies/identical-twins-babies-cousins-brothers-rcna17270
#til #todayilearned
TIL that the macadam, the early form of asphalt, was named directly after its inventor Mcadam.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macadam
#til #todayilearned
TIL there are fungus that mimic flowers! 23 minutes deep in video.
https://youtu.be/1XJCiJA1Txo?si=ndou_vUuGUcj3qHj
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/173aoqx/til_there_are_fungus_that_mimic_flowers_23/
TIL the first internet spammers were lawyers selling immigration services. At the time, they faced severe backlash from ISP’s and users.
https://www.cnet.com/tech/tech-industry/the-father-of-modern-spam-speaks/
#til #todayilearned
TIL that DaBaby has more Billboard Hot 100 hits than Queen and David Bowie combined
https://www.billboard.com/artist/dababy/
#til #todayilearned
TIL that the Barilla's pasta manufacturing plant in Parma (Italy) is the world's largest pasta production facility. It is 430,000 square foot/40,000 square meters large and produces 320,000 tons of pasta annually
#til #todayilearned
